"How do you say that again?"

Tess tried to think of the English words to express what she meant. She had only been studying the language for three weeks. So, it made no sense to her why their teacher had decided to make her the guide for the American exchange student. Somehow Tess had made it through the day without completely embarrassing herself, now it was the end of the day and she couldn’t remember how to bid the American Adieu.

Driving Test

Today I’m taking my driving test, I’m not as nervous as I expected myself to be, but I’m sure that will change the moment I get to the DMV office. Mama is taking part of the day off work so she can drive me down there, which is really nice of her. I’ve never driven in the area of the DMV so it’ll be a new road, and everything, but the driving instructor is going to be giving me directions, it’s probably someone I have never met or even seen before. I don’t understand how anyone can fairly judge someone’s driving in such an alien environment. I’m never going to be in a situation, (at least I hope not) that I’m going to have a complete stranger in the car with me with no one else there. This is probably going to be the only time I will ever do something like that. I don’t know I find it bizarre; maybe I’m just blowing it completely out of proportion because I am a bit nervous, but…it’s still a weird concept if you think about it too much.

This is How I Feel

Alone

As I lay here in bed

I wonder what it would be like

To have someone beside me instead

of being alone.

I awaken for the day

And I wonder why

Won’t the morning stay;

This is my time to be alone.

I sit at my desk

The chatter of the office small-talk

Intrude my ears like a pest

This is when I wish I was alone.

Lunch is an ordeal

Cheap company abounds

“No, fast food does not appeal”

There is no such thing as “alone”.

The work is over,

Now for the gym

Other’s sweat leaves a flavor

No one speaks; it is close to being alone.

I head for my home

I fix my dinner

I do not feel lonesome

Silence is worth the price of being alone.

I go to bed and sleep

But as the morning sneaks in my window

And my eyes open a peep

I wonder, what is it like not to be alone.

Query Letters (Part 2)

So last week I wrote about how I go about finding agents, but mostly about how I keep records on how I keep track of which manuscript I sent to which agent. Once that is done, I put together my query letters. Drum roll.
There is a basic query frame that I put together. There are certain things in all query letters that are required no matter who you send it to, such as your name, address, and/or email, the agency’s name and info, a salutation,  a catchy beginning, you get the idea. (Again, I’m not saying this is the best way to do things, or that this query letter writing technique will be workable for you at the time you read this, the business is constantly changing, and so are the query letter rules of form. I am just sharing the way that I do it now.) So what I create will look something like this:

Samantha Blackwell

Ifyouwantmyrealemailyoumayask.com

Date:
Agent:
Agency:
Email:

Dear (agent name),
 A plot to murder the queen has just been uncovered and her lead sorceress is dying in a cabin belonging to White, a little dwarf. Leaving it up to him and his seven cousins to find away to save the kingdom without alerting the Ordinaries to their predicament. But what do they, humble dwarfs, know about magic? Nothing! and that’s the problem. My book Understandable is full of plot twists and lovable characters that keep the pages turning. All 45,000 words are tightly packed with information, keeping the adventure fast paced, sure to excite a wide age range not just the middle graders as I originally I intended. 

  The adventure is split into three parts, “How it Began”, “What Now?”, and “Is it over Yet?”; White’s journey takes you through a wonderful fairytale land that lies just beyond our front doors, filled with perils like dragons, assassins, gremlins, and the unknowing Ordinaries (us).

  I’ve never been published, but I have been a writer all of my life. I believe Understandable is more than ready to be read. (How I found your agency), and I’m sending query letters to other agents too.

(Say what I’ve pasted to the email). Please let me know if you would like to read more about my book.

  Thanks for your consideration,
 Samantha Blackwell

As you can see, I make my query letter not unlike a movie commercial, it’s exciting and hooks you right in, telling you just enough for you to get excited about the story, but not enough for you to know what actually happens in the book, which leaves you wanting more.

Once this draft is written out, I then copy and paste it to another document on my laptop, and save the original for later. With the copy, I fill in the blanks and boom, it’s ready to send to an agent or publisher of my choice, and because I saved the original with all the blanks in it, when I’m ready to send another query, all I have to do is copy it again and fill in the blanks. It’s easy and it’s fast. Every once in a while I’ll make minor changes to make the letter better, but mostly it remains the same. Here’s an example of that same query, except filled out.

Samantha Blackwell

Ifyouwantmyrealemailyoumayask.com

Date:  1/16/2010
Agent: Aurora Kingly
Agency: Fantasy Agency
Email: aurorafantasy@imadeitup.com

Dear Aurora Kingly,
 A plot to murder the queen has just been uncovered and her lead sorceress is dying in a cabin belonging to White, a little dwarf. Leaving it up to him and his seven cousins to find away to save the kingdom without alerting the Ordinaries to their predicament. But what do they, humble dwarfs, know about magic? Nothing! and that’s the problem. My book Understandable is full of plot twists and lovable characters that keep the pages turning. All 45,000 words are tightly packed with information, keeping the adventure fast paced, sure to excite a wide age range not just the middle graders as I originally I intended. 

  The adventure is split into three parts, “How it Began”, “What Now?”, and “Is it over Yet?”; White’s journey takes you through a wonderful fairytale land that lies just beyond our front doors, filled with perils like dragons, assassins, gremlins, and the unknowing Ordinaries (us).

  I’ve never been published, but I have been a writer all of my life. I believe Understandable is more than ready to be read. You’re agency was recommended to me by a fellow writer, and client of yours, Phyllis McNotReal, the author of “I’m Bored” and I thought my book would be a good fit with your agency, I’m also sending query letters to other agents too.

I have pasted the first five pages of Understandable and a synopsis to the bottom of this email. Please let me know if you would like to read more about my book.

  Thanks for your consideration,

 Samantha Blackwell

So you see, after you learn the language, and develop your own system, sending out the dreaded query letter gets to be as easy as fill in the blank.